Key messages

“We need to stop fighting each other and instead work together to defeat the common foe, be it poverty, injustice, poor health literacy, turf wars, egocentric and sector centric protocols, addictions, isolation, damaging workplace cultures and so on. Dr Wendy Burton, GP

“Building bridges from foundations of understanding, respect and our passion as healers is critical to complete ourselves and to inspire generations to come. Dr Dr Ewen McPhee, GP

“GPs and pharmacists seem to be locked in turf wars – at least that’s how it plays in the medical and pharmacy media. (…) Are the turf wars impeding safer medication use? We must build bridges across our differences to pursue the common good. Debbie Rigby, Advanced Practice Pharmacist

“When we get it right the GP, the mental health nurse, the emergency doctors and nurses, and the allied health clinicians aren’t individuals trying to be solo rock stars. When we get it right we’re playing together as a band. That’s the way to make the health service sing. Paul McNamara, Mental Health Nurse

“One of the first things we might do together is to understand better that silent majority and what they want from their leaders. Dr Janice Bell, GP

“Collaboration, though, like unity, is only comfortable in the abstract. The process can be a bit messy, and involves compromise and discomfort. It’s as if we are all in separate little dinghies on the sea, and we all need to get in the same boat. If there is no rocking the boat, we will get nowhere. But if there is too much rocking the boat, we get thrown overboard. Dr Tim Senior, GP

“When one feels disconnected, the rational thing to do is to reconnect. However, people don’t often do this. They often fall into the trap of withdrawing or criticising, which makes the disconnection worse. Be careful of this trap.” Dr Vinh Tran, GP

“My message is that it has to start somewhere and it will be small steps, but almost anything is possible. Dr John Buckley, GP

“It is time we tried to break down some of the ‘us’ vs ‘them’ in medicine, starting with the divisions within Australian General Practice and the organisations which represent Australian GPs. In unity, there is strength. Dr Genevieve Yates, GP

“We have a lot more in common than what divides us, and we need to highlight that and focus on our similarities rather than our differences. Dr James Ware, GP

“Unity in diversity around a core shared value is essential. That core value strengthens the individual and should be the magnet that brings the various groups together. Dr Deb Sambo, GP

“BridgeBuilders is already demonstrating the impact of this mindset on a greater scale. In a current culture of factions and self-promotion, it is pushing back. Dr Tash Coventry, GP

“For our leaders to be able to work better together via their organisations, they must be able to relate to each other as individuals. That is difficult when they go into meetings as representatives of specific organisations. Being able to meet each other on neutral ground is a very good thing. Dr John Kramer, GP

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“When one feels disconnected, the rational thing to do is to reconnect. However, people don’t often do this. They often fall into the trap of withdrawing or criticising, which makes the disconnection worse. Be careful of this trap.

“For our leaders to be able to work better together via their organisations, they must be able to relate to each other as individuals. That is difficult when they go into meetings as representatives of specific organisations. Being able to meet each other on neutral ground is a very good thing.